Commands Modified by Examples

Romans 13

“Let every soul be in subjection to higher powers… they are ordained of God”
“Rulers are not a terror to the good work but to evil workers”
“He (the ruler) is a minister of God, an avenger of wrath to those who do evil”

These verses teach Christians to obey government rule and to be loyal subjects. Taken by themselves one could make the argument that Christians must do whatever government charges them to do… even if it is contrary to God’s other commandments.

However, commandments must never be isolated from examples in the scripture. Examples, found in the scriptures, can often modify our understanding of a command.

Take for example Moses. His parents disobeyed the command of the King of Egypt that all male newborn children had to be killed. Did they violate what is taught in Romans 13?

Apparently not, Hebrews 11:23, “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid by his parents… and they were not afraid of the King’s command”. Their disobedience was called “faith”.

So we interpret the teaching in Romans 13 to mean that “generally” we are to be subject to government and we obey our governmental leaders unless they issue a law that clearly violates God’s other commands like… “Thou shall not kill”.

Understanding God’s laws for us requires patient study of the scriptures and the balancing of commands and examples. There are no shortcuts when it comes to Bible study.

Parkway Deacons

Boy Scouts at Building

An incredible view of our building.

Walker and Boy Scouts

Boy Scouts at Parkway

Jeff Carr took a phone call at the building inviting us to participate in an event to educate Boy Scouts on the 10 Commandments. Several churches were involved and Walker did the instruction due to Jeff being out of town. Walker does happen to be an Eagle Scout.

Helping the Lost

Romans chapter twelve describes the kind of life that God wants his people to live. These verses provide a model for Christian living that describes how God’s people should interact with other people.

The purpose for this model is two fold. First, God’s diagram for living provides for happy lives. God loves his people, he wants them to be happy and he wants his people to love him for what he does for them.

Secondly, this model for Christian living presents his greatest tool for bringing non-believers to Him… His instructions personified in living form. The theory of Christian living becomes living and breathing fact.

1 Peter 3:15, says that non-believers will ask questions about God based on what they see in the lives of his followers. Christians are living conversion machines who don’t, necessarily, have to go out seeking converts but who, because of the way they live, attract the converts to them.

So why don’t we see more non-believers flocking into churches asking questions?

Because Christians tend to park their lives in churches and among friends who are already Christians or friends who aren’t Christians but who lead pretty good lives. Or they just isolate themselves from everyone.

Jesus did his best work among the morally degraded people of his day… people who had wrecked their lives through the ravages of sinful excess.

My advice would be to share your lives with the kind of people Jesus shared his life with. We are after all powerfully equipped to turn these people to God and all we have to do is present our lives to those who need it the worst. The questions will come.